Tibet exile premier blames human rights violations for monk immolations

The prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile accused China of violating human rights and blamed those abuses for the "desperate" acts undertaken by at least a dozen monks who have set themselves on fire to demand freedom this year, the Associated Press reported.

“The human rights situation in Tibet has deteriorated so significantly that Tibetans are resorting to desperate and unprecedented acts,” the agency quoted Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay as saying in Dharmsala, India, where the exiled Tibetan community is based.

As reported on GlobalPost, the attempts at self-immolation have spread to the Tibetan diaspora in India and Nepal, as frustrated Tibetans perceive that China is "winning" the battle for Tibet.  China's success in convincing foreign governments to shun the Dalai Lama and to crack down on Tibetan refugees has increased the feelings of urgency among exiles, Tibetans in India said.